Faculty & Staff

The following may serve as a useful checklist for closing out international projects. The PI and Country/Project Director should look at each activity and specify who is responsible for taking any required actions and in what timeframe. Note that the items are not in chronological order.

Sample List of Close-Out Activities

Program

1. Explain the close-out plan to community, subrecipients, other partner organizations, and, where appropriate, funding agencies
2. Identify final project commitments
3. Purchase and distribute final project materials
4. Arrange final training activities
5. Conduct final closure meetings
6. Pay all bills in project sites and close satellite offices
7. Consolidate and send to New York all program records; destroy all records that do not need to be retained (see the funding agency’s record retention regulations)

Representation

1. Notify ministries, NGOs, in-country representatives of funding agencies, and other partners
2. Invite New York staff to assist in close-out
3. Publicize results of program activities

Personnel

1. Give adequate notice to staff and inform them of the timetable for close-out 2. Make a special effort to maintain staff morale
2. Use “stay bonuses” if necessary
3. Provide career counseling for staff
4. Pay all outstanding compensation due
5. Have each staff member sign a receipt stating that all payments by the local entity/Columbia University are completed
6. End all staff and consultant contracts
7. Prepare letters of recommendation
8. Deregister international staff with the police/embassy
9. Consolidate and send to New York all personnel records; destroy all records that do not need to be retained (see the funding agency’s record retention regulations)

Finance

1. Discuss the closure plan with bank representatives
2. Plan and pay all outstanding project expenses one month prior to close-out
3. Monitor expenses and review them every 2 weeks during the final close-out period
4. Plan basic expenses for the final month
5. Close all field office services, leases, contracts, etc. (if signed in New York, have Columbia University terminate them)
6. Close bank accounts and coordinate with the Department Administrator on the disposition of funds
7. Conduct a final audit, if necessary
8. Consolidate and send to New York all financial and administrative records; destroy all records that do not need to be retained (see the funding agency’s record retention regulations)

Grants/Contracts

1. Inform funding agencies of close-out plans and rework program plans if required
2. Charge grants/contracts for all allowable costs, including evaluations, audits, severance, and expatriate relocation
3. Provide funding agencies with final reports
4. Follow funding agency requirements for grant/contract closure

Subawards

1. Inform subrecipients of general close-out plans and provide a timetable for subgrant/subcontract close-out
2. Obtain final financial and narrative reports from subrecipients
3. Arrange final payments to subrecipients, or arrange for any balance of funds to be returned to New York
4. Follow University procedures for subgrant/subcontract closure

Operations

1. Obtain approval for planned disposition of major (capital) equipment
2. Inventory all assets and distribute/sell them
3. Inventory all project materials and distribute or donate them
4. Provide notice on leases
5. Close accounts with utilities providers
6. Identify who receives mail after the operation is closed